Dipper and Pacifica
by animemaxxi
Summary: Pacifica gets threw out of his mansion so he starts living with Dipper.


Ok this is my first fanfic Right anyway i hope y'all enjoy it

First of all i decided to do a Fanfic called Dipper & Pacifica because i don't know

what name i should put to.

2nd:I decided to do the first chapter putting in some others fanficts

and some images i searched up with google

3rd:I don't really know english because i'm Spanish so it would be hard

but i really want to do a English & Spanish version of this.

Chapter 1:

"Roadside Attraction"

In the Northwest Mansion when Pacifica & his fathers lunch his father

calls her with the bell & Pacifica reaction de by the next form

PacificaYou know what Preston i'm tired of belong to this family it is a

shame that we are rich because lieing and i'm tired of have blonde hair

i'm not blonde,you know what i don't want to be on this family anymore

Preston:Oh the creature has spoken,get on the car

Pacifica:No

Preston:I said get on the car

Pacifica:I don't want to do that

Preston:You forced me to do it

Preston takes Pacifica & and takes in it the car saying the next

words:

Preston:You,you miserable child! How did you dare to disobey me? What

you did,can't be forgiven! Letting everyone in the manor,making mess in

our favorite carpet,and at last but not leas,thorwing away those two diamonds

Pendants which are more expensive than your life! Hey,my honey! Call the

photographers,and tell them,that Pacifica can't go would be hard

to explain what happened to her.

Now get away from the car and never comeback to the you want

to hang around with these people you should better live the rest of your life

with them

Preston leaves Pacifica in the enter of the Mystery Shack & Pacifica start

to cry

Later Dipper opens the door and found Pacifica crying in

the entry:

Dipper:Pacifica,what are you doing here? And why you cry?

Pacifica:Dipper you need to help my parents threw me out of the mansion

I have nowhere to go.

Dipper:Calm down Pacifica you can live with us for a time

Pacifica:Is seriously?

Dipper:Yes

Pacifica:(Jumpin of happiness) Thanks,Thanks I love you.(Pacifica hughs

Dipper)

Dipper:Hehehe

Pacifica:Hehe Is because the situation eh

Dipper:Yeah yeah i understand

Mabel:Hey Pacifica what are you doing here?

Dipper:His parents left abandoned near the entrance so

i let him live with us for while.

Mabel:Oh that's bad

Dipper:Grunkle Stan

Grunkle Stan:Oh what's going on Dipper(Stan sees a Pacifica & says) You,what are

here why aren't you on beautiful mansion with al your rich people things

Dipper:Grunkle Stan his parents threw it out of the mansion

& he has no home i want to know if she can live with us for a while

Tio Stan:Ahg,Okay

Dipper & Pacifica:Yes!

They hear someone kick the door:

Candy & Grenda:Mabel.

Mabel:Candy,Grenda.

Grenda:Wait,what she's doing here

Mabel explains to Candy y Grenda what happened anyways Candy y Grenda

still don't trust at all on Pacifica.

They went outside and they see Soos and Grunkle Stan with an RV

Dipper exclaims:

RV? Camping gear? Are You running from the law again?

Soos:Dude it's the ultime Oregon road trip adventure!

Stan:More like revenge year my tourist trap competitors

prank the Mystery year those hooligans duct taped Soos to the

ceiling.

Soos:That was a fun 78 hours.

Stan:Well, no more! (Pulls out a map of Oregon's tourist traps and hands it

to Dipper) This year we're visiting every tourist trap along the

Redwood Highway, and I'm gonna prank back every single one.

Author:Bueno aqui en esta parte decidi usar otro Fanfiction para completar

el episodio todo los creditos desde aqui en adelante van para blindbat1192

Mabel said, "I packed plenty of clothes for the three of us! There's no reason

I can't share some of my sweaters with you! By the by, did you ever learn

how to pronounce it?"

"Shaw-shaw-shaw-ring?" Pacifica asked.

"We can practice on the road!" Mabel exclaimed, "C'mon, we should get the

best seats!"

Mabel dragged Pacifica towards the RV, leaving Grenda and Candy to

wonder why Mabel suddenly got girly and friendly with the most popular

girl in Gravity Falls.

"And who said you weren't coming?" asked Mabel, still having Pacifica stand

near them, while the former conveniently grabbed suitcases from the side,

"I already went to the trouble of packing all your stuff. Even the stuff you kept

in that secret box under the bed."

No sooner did she say that when she dropped the box, with pictures of

Wendy falling out. Dipper became visibly embarrassed as he tried to pick up

the photos. Pacifica vaguely recognized the girl in the photos, she had only

seen her once at the Shack party. Other than that, she didn't even know her

name or what she meant to Dipper.

"Whoa, what the...ugh, what's that?" Mabel groaned.

"Uh, nothing!" Dipper exclaimed, "Just...Wendy stuff...from old times."

Mabel and Soos simultaneously groaned.

"W-Who's Wendy?" Pacifica asked, uncharacteristically nervous.

"The girl Dipper used to like," Mabel said, "The one he said he was over with."

"I know, I know!" moaned Dipper, "I know she's not interested and I know it's

over, but how do you just turn off the way you feel about someone?"

"Two words, Dipper," Mabel replied, "Move. On."

That's easier said than done, Pacifica thought.

"Yeah, dude," Soos said, "And a road trip's the perfect place to meet new

people!"

"What's...wrong with people he already knows?" Pacifica asked.

"Oh, he's gotta meet someone new to take his mind off things!" Mabel

exclaimed, "Now come on, Pacifica! I've got sweaters with your name on

them!"

As Pacifica was dragged onto the RV by Mabel, she turned her head looking back at Soos offering whatever passed off as man-to-man advice. But Dipper's question stuck in her mind.

How do you turn off the way you feel about someone?

The most Pacifica could do without feeling too uncomfortable on the drive

was look at her nails, which she barely had time to manicure before being

thrown into this surprise trip. Candy was ogling the travel brochures while

Mabel and Grenda were chasing each other around with what looked like

more of her sweaters. When Pacifica had come out of the back room

wearing one of Mabel's sweaters, it nearly sucked up her neck, much like

what happened with Dipper when he first put on one of the suits at her

mansion. As soon as Dipper saw it, he laughed and called it karma.

"How's the new outfit, Your Majesty?" Dipper asked.

"Oh, stuff it," Pacifica replied, loosening the sweater's grip on her neck,

"For starters, I'm not being spoiled. I just rearranged some of your stuff to

have a reasonable amount of personal space."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dipper said, "You didn't happen to touch any of my,

uh...personal belongings?"

"And that brings me to my second point..."

At the same time, Mabel had been sitting up front with Grunkle Stan driving,

trying to concentrate on the road without being distracted by Mabel's talk

about her sudden distaste for unicorns.

"Kid, do you mind?" asked Stan, "I hate unicorns as much as the next guy,

but if you keep talking, they won't be the death of us."

"Awww, don't be such a pouty-face, Grunkle Stan," Mabel said,

"What's not to like about a long, long drive on an empty road with almost

nothing but trees in sight?"

"Gas prices, cracks in the road, being trapped with someone you hate..."

Stan answered nonchalantly.

"You know you like me and Dipper," Mabel teased.

"Of course I do," Stan said, "Fortunately, I wasn't talking about you two."

"Well you can't possibly hate Soos," Mabel said, "He's like a son to you!"

"Hey, I like the guy, but do NOT disturb the delicate relationship between an

employer and his handyman!" Stan exclaimed.

Mabel gasped before saying, "Why Candy and Grenda? I thought you

enjoyed having the, over! All those times the four of us watched Duck-tective together!"

"Jeez, Mabel, I'm not talking about them either!"

Mabel had run out of guesses, almost completely forgetting about one more. One that had been a bit last minute...

"You don't mean...Pacifica?"

"Bingo, kiddo," Stan said, not taking his eyes off the road, "Now be helpful

and put this wrinkly old map in the glove compartment. Not gonna need it

as long as I have my keen sense of tracking shady proprietors."

After doing what she was told, Mabel immediately went back to the previous

subject, asking "But why?"

"You seriously have to ask?" Stan asked her, "I mean, she's been a brat as

long as I can remember, but this summer with the two of you here?

Something just cranked it up a notch in her."

"...but she's not like that anymore."

"Kid, as long as I've lived, there's one thing I've learned over the years,and

that's people don't change," Stan said, "Take Ford, for example. He was an

overachieving know-it-all when we were young, and he's the same way now.

The Northwests are no different. Once a snobby scumbag, always a snobby

scumbag."

"Grunkle Stan, why are you being so..."

"Look, let's just leave it as me being a concerned family member; it's not

easy watching your loved ones get picked on. I wanted to pummel kids who

did that to my brother, and I definitely want to pummel kids who mess with

you and your brother. I'm just trying to protect you; that's never going to

change."

The R.V started to slow down as it made a turn onto the next exit.

"Look, can we just drop the whole subject, please?" asked Stan, "We're

about to hit our first stop, and I don't want something sour like this ruining

our revenge trip."

Ignoring the handicap sign at the parking spot, Stan parked there anyway.

Pacifica didn't notice until everyone but Soos was off the vehicle.

"Um, Stan?" asked Pacifica, "Shouldn't you be saving that parking spot for..."

"It's Mr. Pines, kid," Stan growled, "And who says I'm not? As soon as Soos

puts up my fake handicap permit, no one will know the difference. Speaking of which...SOOS! Put up the handicap permit!"

"Yes sir, Mr. Pines sir!" Soos called out from the van.

Mr. Pines went off to do his usual scheming as part of his revenge trip.

Pacifica got the vibe Stan didn't enjoy having her along.

"You'll get used to it, dude," Soos said coming from the vehicle, "Everyone

except Dipper and Mabel calls him Mr. Pines."

"And...you don't mind him ordering you around like a slave?"

"I'd do anything for the Pines family!" Soos replied, "And I mean ANYTHING. Even for his strange twin brother that came from the portal."

"What twin...actually, never mind," Pacifica said, "If it was important, Dipper

probably would have told me."

"You dudes are getting pretty close, huh?" Soos asked.

"He's not so bad when you get your life saved by him," Pacifica replied,"But

DON'T tell Mabel any of this! I just know she's gonna try playing matchmaker

if she knew I liked D...uh, never mind, I don't know why I'm even telling you

this."

"Mabel's a visionary, dude!" Soos exclaimed, "She could make cats and

dogs fall in love! And those things fight like cats and dogs!"

"You can't make people fall in love!" Pacifica exclaimed, "It has to happen

naturally, unexpectedly...maybe...maybe with someone you never thought

you'd fall for..."

Pacifica stopped herself once she realized what she had just been saying,

all of which came out a little too naturally.

"Well, not that I know from any personal experience," Pacifica said,"I just

watch a lot of romcoms."

"Heh, whatever you say, dude," Soos said adjusting his cap.

"NOW!" Stan screamed.

All of a sudden, everyone started running back into the R.V, cuing Soos and

Pacifica to do the same. At some point as Stan was driving off, Pacifica

could have sworn she heard an old lady screaming "I'll get you, Stan Pines!" She wasn't quite sure what Stan did (until she looked out the window and saw a giant ball of yarn being unraveled with the string attached to their vehicle).

But she did know that if she couldn't control her feelings, it would be a very

long road trip.

Pacifica suddenly remembered why, despite all the fairs and festivals she

attended, some willingly, others to keep up appearances for the Northwest

family name, she NEVER did any ride more intense than a carousel ride.

She easily got VERY sick. The next tourist trap had involved an upside-down

house. It was a simple trick for everyone to rub velcro on their shoes before

stepping on the wheel that flipped them upside down. But the blood in

Pacifica's body began to run to her head, as well as whatever she had eaten

thay to relieve herself of the pain, she deliberately jumped

up to fall back to the ground floor before rushing outside and vomiting in

the nearest bush.

That is not dignified, Pacifica thought, Northwest or not.

She decided it would probably be best if she just went and relaxed inside

the R.V. Walking by the gift shop, however, she saw everyone else running

back to the R.V as well. Somehow, the upside-down house was now

right-side-up. Probably part of Stan's revenge trip. She quickly made her

way onto the R.V with them as yet another angry proprietor cursed out

Stan Pines.

The other three girls (and Soos) were in the back playing a card game

(the cards had Dream Boys High memorabilia printed on them) while

Dipper rode shotgun. Pacifica simply laid down on one of the seats,giving

her stomach, and her mind, a much needed break.

"I can't believe it worked," Dipper told Stan, "What do I do now? Do I email

her?"

Her? Pacifica asked herself, Who's 'her'? Is he still talking about that

Wendy girl?"

"No, no, no, you practice," Stan replied, "The more girls you talk to, the

better you get at it."

What, I'm not a girl? So much for resting my mind.

Since she was looking up at the ceiling, Pacifica didn't notice Dipper turning

his head backwards, noticing she was laying down on the seat.

"Is she okay?" he asked Stan, "She's been like that for a while now."

"She'll be fine, kid."

No she wasn't. She stayed in the R.V during the remaining stops of the day.

Which worked out fine for Stan, it meant he wouldn't have to keep an eye on

her knowing she was back on board the R.V. Oddly enough, though, every

time Dipper came back, he had a new e-mail address written on his arm.

Who were these people just randomly giving him their e-mail?

"What's with the e-mails on your arm?" Pacifica asked him.

"Only the results of the best girl advice a grunkle could give," Dipper replied

confidently.

"...so those are girls' emails," Pacifica said.

"Y-yeah," Dipper replied, suddenly uncomfortable, "Hey, you alright? You've

been kinda zoned out since Upside-Down Town."

"I'm a little better," Pacifica said, "Just thirsty."

"Well, Grunkle Stan says we're almost at the R.V camp," Dipper said,

"We can probably grab something while we're there."

"That would be great," Pacifica replied.

"So was that a date you dudes just made, or what?"

Dipper and Pacifica jumped back when they saw Soos sitting across from

them, watching their conversation like a soap opera.

"Uh, Soos?" asked Dipper, "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Funny story," Soos explained, "I had almost gotten lost in the cornfield from

our last stop...probably would have if it weren't for that ice cream truck that drove by just before we left, might have been able to chase it down..."

Soos was interrupted once Pacifica realized what Soos had previously been

implying.

"Hey, wait, what did you mean by dating?"

"A guy and a girl having dinner together? Sounds like a date to me, dudes,"

Soos replied nonchalantly.

"Whoa, whoa!" Dipper exclaimed,"We're not dating, it's just grabbing a bite

with a friend!"

"Y-Yeah!" Pacifica stammered, hiding her blushing cheeks behind her hands

,"Nothing romantic about that."

Pacifica and Dipper looked away from each other, both trying to forget the

awkward moment. Soos, despite his simple existence and lack of common

sense, noticed this quite easily.

They clearly like each other, but neither of them are willing to admit it! But

Dipper's had my back before, so it's up to me to help him realize what his

heart truly wants! Great idea, Soos! Thanks, Soos!

Pacifica didn't say much when everyone was getting off the R.V. While she

didn't physically see Stan giving her the stink-eye as she walked by him, she

could definitely feel it. Stan and Soos got the R.V set up while the kids

headed towards the quaint diner just across the street from the R.V camp.

It felt a lot like Greasy's Diner, but less rustic and more retro, like something

straight out of the 50s. Since it was one of those 'seat yourself' joints, Mabel,

Candy, and Grenda got themselves seated at the bar while Dipper went by

himself to an empty booth. Pacifica thought it would be more natural for her

to sit with the other girls, but...

"Well..." Pacifica pondered.

While she had been getting along better with Mabel, she wasn't exactly in

the mood for Mabel's generic silliness or hopelessly optimistic outlook.

Plus, she was pretty sure Candy and Grenda still didn't like her. So after

seeing the trio get a quick order of chili fries and slurpees, Pacifica decided

to sit with Dipper instead. During the time she contemplated which twin to

sit with, a waitress had already made her way to Dipper.

"Just a strawberry milkshake," Dipper said, then noticing Pacifica walking

towards him, he added, "Actually, make that two."

The waitress finished writing down the order and walked to the back just as

Pacifica sat down across from him.

"How'd you know strawberry was my favorite?" Pacifica asked, crossing her

legs.

"I didn't, actually," Dipper replied, "This is my first time hearing that."

"Mm-hmm," Pacifica playfully smirked, "Like you haven't been reading my

tumblr...DD&Dgeek618."

"Man, of all your thousand-plus followers, you picked me out from that?"

Dipper groaned.

"How many other mystery geeks do you think would follow my blog?" asked

Pacifica, "Most of my topics are just about clothes or jewelry...Mabel begs

me to post more personal stuff, but there's...not much about my home life to

brag about."

The following awkward silence provided just enough time for their strawberry

milkshakes to arrive. Dipper started sipping out the straw from his when the

most seemingly random question popped out from Pacifica's mouth.

"Your uncle hates me, doesn't he?"

"Grunkle Stan? Nah, he's cool with all sorts of people, even if he's a little

rough," Dipper replied.

"He never yells at any of you," Pacifica said.

"He yelled at Soos for almost forgetting the spray paint," Dipper said in reply.

"He wouldn't leave Soos for dead over it," Pacifica said, before muttering

"...like he would to me."

She thought she had said it quietly enough that Dipper wouldn't hear,

but he did. He did a double take at Pacifica's morbid assumption.

"Where would you get an idea like that?" Dipper asked incredulously,

"Just because he's grumpy and old doesn't mean he would..."

"He wanted to hit me at the mini-golf course!" Pacifica said, "And you

wanted him to!"

He remembered that. At the time, he really wanted to hit her himself, despite

the fact that she was a girl, even though he settled for reminding her about

her family's false history. But then he remembered everything else...

"In all fairness," Dipper said, "He wasn't there for everything after

might have driven you home afterwards, but he didn't know about the

Lilliputtians who tried to kill you over Mabel's sticker. And he wasn't even

there at all for all the stuff that happened the night of the party. He hasn't

seen the real you, or at least the person you're trying to be, the way me and

Mabel have."

"I didn't like being that mean, you know," Pacifica said,"I just had

appearances to keep up."

Pacifica finally decided to take a drink from her milkshake. But unlike Dipper,

who drank through the straw, Pacifica brought the rim of the glass to her lips,

unwittingly leaving a red milk moustache above her upper lip. She didn't feel it as she brought the glass down to the table, but Dipper sure did, and didn't hold back his laughter.

"What's so funny?" asked Pacifica.

"Got milk?" asked Dipper.

It took a while for her to get the joke, but she did faintly remember those

commercials. Running her finger over her lips, she found milk dripping from

it, and finally caught on to what was so funny. And to her own surprise, she laughed too, almost as hard as Dipper.

"See?" asked Dipper, whose laughter finally died down, "The old Pacifica

would have been embarassed and throw an insult at anyone that laughed at

her. You keep this up, Grunkle Stan will have to start warming up to you!"

"You really think so?" asked Pacifica.

"I know so," replied Dipper.

Pacifica used her straw this time to avoid unnecessary laughter, no matter

how good it felt to genuinely laugh. Like when they trashed her parents'

favorite carpet and she didn't care.

"There's...one other thing the old me wouldn't do," Pacifica said,

"She wouldn't be caught dead on a road trip with you. Yet here we are."

Pacifica started to feel herself melting inside when Dipper gave her that

smile of his. It only lasted for a second though before they both caught on.

"W-Well not just you," Pacifica said, "Mabel and the others, too."

"Oh y-yeah, I know!" Dipper coughed, "Wasn't, uh, thinking anything like course not."

For once, Mabel had been so invested in her chili fries that she didn't realize

the potential matchup forming right behind Candy did. She kept

quiet, but she recognized there was a bond growing further between the two.

If she didn't want to lose, she would have to tell someone.

It was chilly out that night, but neither the boys nor the girls were cold.

The boys were in the R.V camp's hot tub, and the girls were sitting around

a campfire roasting marshmallows. Which was a completely new experience

for Pacifica. As soon as Mabel had handed her a stick with a marshmallow

already on, Pacifica had plucked the marshmallow off and ate it.

"That's not how you roast marshmallows, you silly goose!" Mabel said.

"You roast them?" Pacifica asked.

"Why do you think we stick them in the fire?"

Pacifica had taken that quite literally, as she had extended her stick so that

the marshmallow was directly in the center of the fire, burning it within

seconds.

"This is gonna take a while," Mabel said.

Soos had been listening to the back and forth conversation between Stan

and Dipper in the hot tub.

"Grunkle Stan, I gotta say, this was one of the best days ever! Look!" Dipper

exclaimed, showing him the numbers written on his arm.

"That's the Stan Pines method, kid," Grunkle Stan said, "Works every time."

"I'm just a little worried, though. I mean, is it bad to flirt with this many girls

at once? I'm just trying to get over Wendy. I don't wanna hurt anyone's feelings."

"Please, that's the best part of road tripping!" Stan exclaimed, "You're not

gonna see any of these gals again!"

As Dipper and Stan toasted to moving on, Soos looked back and forth

between them, wondering how to change the subject in the direction that would guide Dipper towards Pacifica. He said the first thing that came to his mind.

"So how about that Pacifica?" asked Soos.

Both turned to him with confused expressions.

"Soos, you been drinkin' something in the water?" asked Stan.

"It's complicated," replied Soos, "But sooooooo what about Pacifica?"

"Um...what about her, Soos?" asked Dipper.

"Well, just that you two seem to be getting along pretty well, and since

you're hitting it up with the girls lately..."

"Wha...no, no," Dipper blushed, "We're just friends! I don't see her like that!"

"Friends is too generous," Stan remarked, "No Pines should ever have to

stoop as low as a Northwest."

"That's a little harsh," Dipper said, "She's really not that bad. But we're still

not an item or anything."

Soos mentally groaned to himself.

This is gonna be harder than I thought.

"Truth or dare or don't!"

"I choose...don't," Candy answered, receiving annoyed groans from Mabel

and Grenda.

"You always choose don't!" Grenda whined.

Pacifica hadn't entirely grasped the smores thing, but at least she was able

to roast her own marshmallows. She had been chewing on two of them as

Candy conceded into answering with 'truth'.

"Do you...like someone?" Mabel asked.

Pacifica knew Mabel would always have that boy crush subject ready for

any game. She ignored it and roasted another marshmallow...until Candy

gave an unexpected answer.

"It starts with a 'D'...and ends in an 'ipper'."'

Pacifica broke her stick when she heard that. She looked up at Candy

blushing as both Mabel and herself, for different reasons, looked at her in

surprise.

"No!" they both exclaimed.

"Yes!" Candy replied.

Pacifica had to plug her ears when Mabel and Grenda squealed like

schoolgirls. She also could have sworn she heard Stan shouting at 'those

frigging coyotes'.

"Candy! Candy! All my life dreams are coming true right now! My brother!

My best friend!"

"I can't breathe! I'm so excited I can't breathe!"

"I never really noticed him before," Candy said, "but he seems different

lately. Less sweaty and more charming. But how do I approach him?"

Pacifica desperately wanted to interject and discourage didn't

know why, but she wanted to. But that would put her back at odds with

Mabel, who was clearly aboard the Candip bandwagon, and it would

probably increase the subtle hostility she knew was coming from Candy and

Grenda. She just sat as Mabel encouraged her friend.

"Don't even worry about that, Can-Can, Mabel's got a plan," Mabel said,

before stuffing marshmallows into her mouth and repeating, "Mabel's got a

plan."

Pacifica's fist clenched, breaking yet another marshmallow stick. Here she

thought she had finally pushed past her differences with Mabel. But she just

got so irked by Mabel's excessive eagerness to pair Dipper up with Candy.

She must not have hidden it on her face very well because Mabel soon

turned her head and looked at her inquisitively.

"What's eating you, Paz?" asked Mabel, "Too many smores?"

"No Mabel," Pacifica replied bitterly, "I'm just...never mind, I'm going back to

the R.V."

"Aw, c'mon! Don't be like that!" Mabel pouted.

"Mabel, I'm TIRED," Pacifica stressed, "And I'm STILL not feeling good from

that Upside-Down town."

Not entirely true. She was able to stomach a strawberry milkshake with

Dipper.

"So thanks, but no thanks," she said, "Good NIGHT."

She stressed the last word as she stormed off back to the R.V.

"Why she ackin' so cray-cray?" asked Mabel.

"Forget her, Mabel," Grenda said, "We've had fun before her, we can have

fun without her!"

"Yeah," Candy said, "Besides, you haven't told us your plan yet."

Mabel shared her plan with Candy and Grenda, while still worried about

Pacifica in the back of her mind.

She wasn't the only one. Soos had been laughing with Dipper and Stan

about everything from toilet humor to poorly-done imitations. And while

Dipper and Stan had continued their laughter, Soos noticed Pacifica

pouting to herself as she walked back to the R.V. Until she glanced over

at Dipper. Then she just looked sad, as if she were about to lose ,

for all his childlike qualities, had a sneaky suspicion that she might.

Soos twisted his cap to the side of his head (why he was wearing it in the

hot tub, no one will ever know) and further his resolve. It was time to make

his move.

Dipper's whole body broke out into a cold sweat during the middle of the night. It wasn't even 2 am and he was already startled awake. With the imminent threat of Bill's arrival to the mortal realm, Dipper has had rough nights. He almost envied his sister for constantly being carefree. She probably never had nightmares. At least not ones that were remotely possible of coming true. Her worst nightmare was probably a world without sugar.

His thoughts were interrupted when he realized there was a hand draped across his face. Judging by the dark purple nail polish, it had to have been Pacifica. He didn't remember her being that close to him when he first went to sleep. He certainly would have remembered if Pacifica deliberately cupped his face. Which she probably didn't. But she may have chipped his skin with her nails. He still had to wonder why she was so fussy about maintaining her appearance to the point of obsession. Granted, it was only the first night, so her nails wouldn't be chipped and her probably-fake blonde hair would stay in place, but Wendy wouldn't be so picky about...

Stop it! Dipper berated himself, Stop thinking about Wendy! You're doing this stupid road trip to move on from her!

Dipper gently took Pacifica's hand and brushed it off of him. It was the only way he got any sleep that night.

"Today, the mountain falls," Stan said.

Back on the road, everyone had just learned from Stan the existence of Mystery Mountain, which apparently had actual attractions. Sitting in the back, the kids and Soos stared out the window in awe as they could see Mystery Mountain in the distance. With just enough time for Mabel to execute her plan.

"Question!" she exclaimed, "The back seat makes me car sick. Can I sit up front today?"

"Also question," Grenda said, "I'm the size of two people! Can I have a whole seat to myself?"

"Eh, I dunno, sure," Stan replied without really paying attention.

Grenda and Mabel giggles as they jumped up to the front of the RV, with Candy blushing from behind the brochure she was reading. Soos actually noticed this and saw Dipper sitting just a bit further back. Pacifica had only recently woken up, and was refreshing herself in the bathroom as best she could with limited resources. She had to have a seat with Dipper when she finished.

"Another also question," Soos said, "I, uh, have problems with my tablet that only bespectacled Asian girls in the sixth grade can fix, can I borrow Candy?"

"Soos," Mabel said, "You don't have a..."

"Eh, sure, knock yourself out," Stan replied.

"Yoink!" Soos exclaimed, picking Candy up with one hand and sitting with the other girls.

"Wait, why is everyone so..." Dipper started to wonder.

The sink that had been running in the bathroom had just turned off. Pacifica had finally emerged from the tiny restroom, having changed into the same clothes she had worn yesterday. Though she didn't verbally complain, her face said it all.

"You look mortified," Dipper told her.

"I've never worn the same thing twice in a row," Pacifica said, sitting down next to him.

"Don't you wear that same outfit pretty much every day?" asked Dipper.

Easy mistake to make. She was indeed wearing her usual purple attire, minus the uggs, which she switched out for what appeared to be a pair of Mabel's "cowboy boots". No one was quite sure how Mabel persuaded her to wear them, but Pacifica wouldn't talk about it.

"Not literally the same thing," Pacifica replied, "I just have multiple outfits exactly like this. Besides, isn't that the same shirt and vest you always have on?"

"Well..."

"And Soos has that question mark on his shirt..."

"Except the one he cut up to make his W-neck."

"I miss that W-neck," Pacifica said, "And Mabel...actually, on second thought, she's the only one that doesn't wear the same outfit everyday. I'll give her credit for that."

"Yeah, she loves wearing sweatshirts no matter what time of year," Dipper said.

"Where did she even buy all of them?" asked Pacifica.

"She didn't," Dipper said.

"Whaaa-did Mabel actually ste..."

"Never happened, never will," Dipper cut her off, "Actually if you're that curious, she made them herself."

Pacifica stared completely wide-eyed at Dipper. Miniature golfball people and bloodthirsty ghosts didn't surprise her that much, but Mabel making all of her sweatshirts by hand?

"How can she even afford all that yarn?" asked Pacifica.

"Hey, we may not have Northwest money, but we're not poor," Dipper replied, "Our dad makes decent money as a software engineer."

"You have a dad?" asked Pacifica, jaw dropping, "...sorry, I didn't mean it like that, it's just I've really only seen you two living with your uncle."

"Nope, we have a dad," Dipper said calmly, "And before you ask, yes, we have a mom, too. They're both back home in Piedmont."

"B-Back home?" Pacifica asked, suddenly feeling her stomach sink, "You don't live in Gravity Falls?"

"Nope, we're visiting for the summer," Dipper replied, "After that, the day after our birthday actually, we go back home."

"...oh," Pacifica said without any emotion, "But...I was just getting to like you."

Dipper's head shot up and he was all ears.

"...you guys!" Pacifica stammered, taking a metaphorical step backwards, "I like you guys! You and Mabel, and Soos...even your uncle a little bit, even if he still hates me."

"He'll get over it," Dipper said.

I hope, he thought.

Soos was ready to burst out of his skin. He watched Dipper and Pacifica bonding again, hopefully planting seeds for a romantic relationship.

"Whatcha doin' Soos?" asked Mabel, sitting across from him but not looking in the same direction.

"Oh hey Mabel," Soos replied, "I''m just excited Dipper is finally realizing what he wants!"

"Are we talking...girls?" asked Mabel with a giant grin.

"Exactly!" Soos exclaimed gleefully, "Why flirt with all these girls you only met once when you've got something great right in front of you!"

"I know exactly what you mean, Soos," Mabel replied, "It's like, 'Dippingsauce, you don't need a pen pal girl. You've got Candy right here!"

"Yeah! Wait, what?" Soos did a double take.

"She is seriously crushing on him, and I have...had a plan to get them together, but that's what Plan B's are for!"

"Uh...how long has Candy been crushing on him?"

"Since yesterday apparently," replied Mabel, "But I've always wanted my bro-bro to date one of my friends, and now it's actually gonna happen!"

"I dunno, Mabel," Soos said, "It's only been one day. Maybe Dipper should have someone he's known a bit longer?"

"You only knew Melody once before asking her on a date!"

"Well, true, but..."

"NOBUTSINEEDTOWORKONPLANB!" Mabel shouted running off towards her two best friends.

Soos slumped down in his chair. Looked as though Mabel really wasn't on the same wavelength as him after all.

"Meh," he said, "I'm probably worried over nothing."

An ominous chill raised his neck hairs as Stan parked the RV in front of Mystery Mountain.

Though there were a considerable number of tourists, none stood out like the group occupying Stan's RV. Mainly the fact that none of them were in groups, just riding solo. In no particular order, the revenge trip crew disassembled outside the RV.

Soos, having felt he did his part to help Dipper find true love, quickly became distracted by a simple gopher slowly crossing the trail. Mabel, on the other hand, was on the prowl. Well, technically Candy was, she was the one crushing on Dipper. Mabel was just nudging things in the right direction. And since one of her other goals was to help unburn some bridges between her friends and Pacifica...

"Grenda! Pacifica! Why not take a merry ol' stroll down the first trail I see?" Mabel asked, wrapping her arms over both girls' shoulders.

Mabel immediately turned and winked at Grenda, slightly nudging her head in Candy's direction. In whatever telepathic girl code existed between the trio, Grenda immediately understood what Mabel was up to.

"Great idea, Mabel!" Grenda exclaimed, "Time for some girl bonding for inconspicuous reasons!"

"Wait, Mabel, I don't that's such a..."

"TOOLATEPACIFICAGIRLPOWER!" Mabel screamed.

Mabel and Grenda ran onto the trail with Pacifica being dragged along. Had Mabel thought her plan through entirely, she would have had a way to keep Soos and Stan from meddling. But fortunately that seemed to be taken care of; Soos was still watching the gopher, and Stan was hitting on the perky blonde in charge of Mystery Mountain. Which meant now it was Dipper and...

"Candy Chiu," Candy said, "Sixth grade."

Candy stood awkwardly behind Dipper, startling him as he jumped back.

"...you're standing awfully close," Dipper said.

As would be expected, the two stood in awkward silence as other tourists passed by them. Ironically, despite being more shy, it was Candy who broke the silence.

"So Dipper," Candy said blushing, "I was wondering if maybe you wanted to tour the mountain."

"Well sure," Dipper replied, "I mean, that was the plan anyway."

"No, I mean us," Candy replied, staring into him with a soul-piercing gaze, "You and me. Candy and Dipper."

Dipper dropped his jaw at her bluntness. No, more than that, he was shocked Candy had any romantic interest in him...or that any girl would for that matter. When all that came out from his mouth was a long "Um", Candy broke out a love-struck grin.

"Then off we go!" Candy exclaimed, grabbing Dipper's hand.

Dipper nearly tripped as he tried keeping up with Candy, running eagerly past the sign pointing towards the Fountain of Fear and up the trail towards Mystery Mountain.

Though not far from the mountain, Mabel's trail took the girls out of sight from the parking lot. Pacifica seemed to be the only one nervous about that, noting how much darker the trail became the further they went down...literally, as it started going inward towards the mountain.

"Seriously, I think we walked far enough," Pacifica whined.

"Aw, c'mon, Paz, where's your sense of adventure?" Mabel asked her cheekily.

"Do NOT call me Paz," Pacifica sternly replied.

"Why you ackin' so cray cray?" Mabel asked.

"I'm not ackin' cray cray! You're ackin' cray cray!" Pacifica exclaimed.

The bickering stopped when they heard a deep manly gasp coming from Grenda.

"Girls! Come quick! There's a fork in the road!"

Mabel and Pacifica ran up to Grenda, who was holding up a plastic utensil in her stubby hands.

"I found this disposable fork in the ground just now," Grenda said, "Also, it was also right in front of this fork in the road."

This time, she was referring to two separate paths that stood before them.

"This one on the right takes us back to Mystery Mountain," Grenda said, looking at the signs, "And this dark tunnel in front will take us to the Fountain of Fear!"

"I read about that in one of Candy's brochures!" Mabel exclaimed, "It says that stepping in it forces you to face your darkest fears, and that the water is actually the tears of the fabled Gremloblin!"

"The what?" Pacifica asked.

"Gremloblin! You never heard?" asked Mabel, "It tore up the shack the week Grunkle Stan...oh right, you weren't there."

"I vote for the Fountain of Fear!" Grenda said, "I wanna face Death in the face and PUNCH IT!"

"Your biggest fear is death?" asked Pacifica.

"Actually it's giant man-eating spiders," Grenda said, "But I'm willing to face it if it means keeping us away from..."

Mabel quickly covered Grenda's mouth, just narrowly avoiding her spilling the beans about their plan to hook Candy up with Dipper. Unfortunately, while Pacifica was unaware of their real plan, she still realized something was going on. Pacifica wasn't stupid. She knew a scheme cooked up by boy crazy preteen girls if she...

Boy crazy...kinda like they all were with Sev'ral Timez. That gave her an idea..

"Oh my gosh! Is that Sev'ral Timez wayyyy over there?" Pacifica asked, pointing towards the woodsy landscape.

"Where? Where?" Mabel and Grenda asked simultaneously.

As both girls looked in that general direction, Pacifica pulled a classic switcheroo on the signs, now pointing to the opposite of where they lead.

"Must have been a trick of the mind," Pacifica said.

"Happens all the time," Mabel said, "But yeah, I vote for the Fountain of Fear too!"

Pacifica, smirking knowingly, added, "Guess I'll make it unanimous."

Mabel and Grenda cheered as they headed down the path they thought was towards the Fountain. Pacifica followed behind them, knowing full well they were heading back to Mystery Mountain. Whatever these two were hiding, Pacifica would find out.

"Man, these attractions are unreal!" Stan said, attempting to woo Darlene.

"I love a man with good taste," Darlene said in faux admiration.

"I love me too," Stan said, "Wasn't too impressed with that warning sign about giant man-eating spiders, though."

"I bet you could take one on," Darlene said with a phony smile.

"Heh heh, yeah, I could probably knock a few in the kisser," Stan boasted, "Especially if they tried messing with a pretty lady."

"Awww, that's sweet," Darlene said, "You might even be man enough to go to the Fountain!"

"You sure bet I...wait, what? What's the Fountain?" asked Stan.

"There's a legend behind it that there's a supernatural property in the water that forces tourist to face their worst nightmares," Darlene said, "But surely a big, strong man like you has no fears!"

"You're darn tootin'!" Stan exclaimed.

Darlene put her head on his shoulder as they continued up the trek towards Widow's Peak. What she probably didn't see was the uncertainty on Stan's face, clearly second-guessing whether or not he had any fears.

"This mountain is full of mysteries," said Candy, who was sitting next to Dipper on a bench inside the mountain, "Like, why is my head falling on your shoulder?"

As soon as she said it, Candy deliberately placed her head on Dipper's shoulder, the latter of whom was sweating nervously.

"Uh, yep! This is what I want! This is all part of the plan and stuff," Dipper told himself.

"Oh, Dipper! Hey!"

Dipper looked up, as did Candy, when another girl came out from seemingly nowhere, sitting right down next to him. She was not an unfamiliar face.

"Corn Maze Girl!"

"I was wondering when you'd call!"

"Dipper, who is this?" Candy asked.

"Nobody! I mean, somebody, but..."

"Dipper!" came the voice of another girl...Emma Sue, if Dipper remembered correctly, "I didn't recognize you right-side up. You'll never guess where my mom gave birth...hey, who are these girls?"

"Dipper?" came another voice.

Oh come on! Dipper screamed internally.

"Why haven't you called?" said the girl that came next, "Did your romantic log ride mean nothing to you?"

"Dipper, what is going on?" Candy asked, "Were you flirting with all of these girls?"

"Of course not!" Dipper exclaimed, trying to defend himself, "I was just..."

"Dipper!" came a fourth voice.

"NOW WHAT?" Dipper screamed, turning to the new voice.

Only it wasn't so new. It was someone Dipper would know a mile away...his own sister. She and Grenda were standing there appalled by what they were seeing. All the effort they made trying to get Candy and Dipper together, and before their eyes, they're seeing other girls that Dipper apparently flirted with.

"You flirted with all these girls behind Candy's back!" Grenda exclaimed, "Shame on you!"

"It's not like that!" Dipper exclaimed, "It's not even..."

"I can't believe you, Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, "We put all this effort to push you towards Candy! We tried getting you two alone and everything! It's even the perfect romantic setting! And you two-time her!"

"I didn't even..." Dipper started to explain.

"You what?" came a fifth voice.

This time, it wasn't just Dipper who was surprised by this. It was also Mabel and Grenda. From behind them, Pacifica stared at all of them completely dumbfounded. So this was why they were getting so chummy with her.

"All that talk about girl power...all the bonding you tricked me into thinking we did...you were distracting me?" Pacifica asked, "You were just trying to...?"

"No, Pacifica! It's not like that!" Mabel exclaimed.

Mabel's pleas were in vain. Pacifica already put the pieces together, even if they weren't part of the same puzzle. Dipper was here with other girls, one of whom was Mabel's best friend. Of course they would pair up. They got along better. She was one of Mabel's 'approved potential girlfriends for Dipper'. But not her. Apparently it was never her.

Of course. Why would he ever like me?

"You...you..."

Both twins got ready for the verbal abuse Pacifica had been known for the whole summer, fully knowing they had each done something to deserve it. But to their surprise, it never came. Rather than scream and shout, Pacifica's head bowed down in defeat, and her hands clenched into fists. And then she started trembling.

And though her bangs covered most of her face then, they both saw what came from her eyes and down her cheeks as her lips quivered.

"I shouldn't...I should never have trusted you..."

Before either twin could explain themselves, Pacifica ran back the way she came, covering her face with her arm in a failed attempt at not letting others see her cry.

"Pacifica! Wait!" Dipper cried out.

Mabel, Candy, and Grenda followed behind him chasing after Pacifica. But despite her short legs, Pacifica could run. She knew how to run right to the tunnel she had tried avoiding going in before.

She was about to stumble upon the Fountain.

Pacifica ran as far into the tunnel as her tiny little legs could take her. Though still upset with the twins, she was done crying. Especially now that she had no idea where she was.

"What is this place?" she asked aloud.

All she knew was that it was dark and that the only light was coming from a small glow around the corner. She also knew the ground was wet, because she felt her boots sink heavily into the mud. Good thing she borrowed them from Mabel.

"I guess it's a good thing Mabel doesn't care about her shoes being ruined," Pacifica said.

The further along the tunnel she went, the more Pacifica could hear running water. Feeling parched from her long and desperate run, she followed the tunnel deeper until she was nearly blinded by a bright light. When her eyes adjusted, she saw a round fountain made entirely of marble, but with running water that overflowed from the fountain and into the surrounding ground. Nothing sounded sweeter to her ears than running water.

"Guess that explains the mud," she said.

Walking up to the fountain, Pacifica cupped her hands underneath and drew water out, which she drank immediately. For an old fountain still running inside a mountain, it was the most refreshing water she ever had. Not even the fancy fruit water at her mansion quenched her thirst like this.

Pacifica became so focused on drinking the water that she didn't hear tiny footsteps coming from behind.

"Hey Pacifica."

Pacifica nearly jumped when she heard Dipper's voice from behind. She didn't even know she had been here long enough for Dipper to catch up.

"...why did you come after me?" she asked.

"Look, Pacifica, I'm sorry," he said, "I'm not romantically interested in those girls."

"Are you sure about that?" asked Pacifica.

"Positive," Dipper said smiling, "The truth is, I could only think about one person. There's only ever been one I truly loved."

Pacifica blushed when he looked at her, and she had to lower her eyes to not get too caught up in the boy's adorkable charm.

"Sup dude?"

Pacifica didn't recognize this voice. But she heard the footsteps coming from behind. She turned and saw a much taller girl walking towards Dipper. A tall, red-haired girl with freckles wearing a brown trapper hat. Just like the girl from those photos in Dipper's private collection.

Wait, she thought, That is her! What is she...

"Oh hi Wendy!" Dipper said with a charismatic smile, "I was just talking about you."

"I know, babe," Wendy said, wrapping an arm around the smaller boy, "You can't stop talking about me, let alone thinking about me."

"Not my fault," Dipper said, hugging her back, "I just love you so much!"

"Wait, what? Why is she here? How is she here?" asked Pacifica.

"You didn't know?" asked Wendy mockingly, "Dipper and I are an item. Always have been, always will be."

"But it's cute the way Pacifica thinks I would like her," Dipper said.

"Hah! Fat chance!" Wendy exclaimed haughtily, "There was never any room for her! Not for a guy who's too good for her!"

"Hey!" Pacifica shouted, starting to choke up all over again.

"Admit it, blondie," Wendy said, staring down at the smaller girl, "No matter how much you throw yourself at him, Dipper will never see you as anything more than a spoiled princess! Why would you ever think someone as selfless and considerate as Dipper would ever waste time on a walking one-dimensional bleach blonde valley girl stereotype like you?"

Pacifica remembered exactly where she heard that before. Back when Mabel challenged her to a rematch in mini golf. When she said it then, it was the first time Pacifica was truly angry at her. Not annoyed like usual. Angry.

No, not angry. Afraid. Afraid Mabel might be right.

"We could have solved that problem a long time ago, Wendy," Dipper said, "I wanted to leave her for dead when the Lilliputtians kidnapped her, but Mabel just had to be the good twin and save her."

"Because you're the smart twin, baby," Wendy said, "C'mon, let's go make out again. Leave the little girl in her own world."

Pacifica had tears coming down her face again, but this time it wasn't out of heartbreak. It was out of rage. She picked up the nearest rock and threw it at the freckled girl's head, only for it to go right through her, making both Wendy and Dipper fade out. As if they were never there.

"Was that...was that even real?" Pacifica asked herself.

After calming down and catching her breath, Pacifica recomposed herself in a more dignified matter.

"Of course it was fake!" Pacifica reassured herself, "Mabel said it herself! Dipper's over her...right?"

Pacifica began to walk out in the tunnel she came in through, or at least the one she thought she came in through. It was hard to tell when an ancient fountain was the only source of light in the cavern.

And that's when she heard it. That awful sound echoing throughout the mountain. The ringing of a bell. Her body stiffened and her mind went into overhaul. The last time her father used it on her was at the mansion party when she finally stood up to him and her mother. Between that, Dipper's guidance, and the public eye on the Northwests now more than usual, Pacifica stopped being afraid of her parents.

But she never stopped being afraid of the bell. Or what it reminded her of.

Accompanied by the bell was the sound of haughty laughter. And that sound was soon joined by multiple images of Pacifica laughing at others. She couldn't see who her former selves were laughing at, but she saw what she herself looked like. And she hated it. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she went to slap the queen bees that surrounded her. But they too were mirages, just like Wendy and Dipper.

But it wasn't over yet. She heard Mabel's voice echoing with the bell now. And she kept saying the same thing, getting louder every time.

"WALKING ONE DIMENSIONAL BLEACH BLONDE VALLEY GIRL STEREOTYPE!"

Pacifica covered her ears and rolled up into a ball, blocking every sound and every picture that entered her mind. And yet they wouldn't go away. Her entire body went numb. It became too much for her, so much so, she did the only thing she could instinctively do.

She screamed.

And when she was done, she felt a pair of hands shaking her. Opening her eyes, she saw Dipper trying to shake her back into reality, with Mabel, Candy, and Grenda standing behind him, looking rather disturbed by Pacifica's meltdown.

"Pacifica!" Dipper shouted.

"Are you...are you real?"

"Am I...yes! Of course I'm real! Why wouldn't I be?" asked Dipper.

"How do I know that this isn't just another trick?" asked Pacifica, "That you won't just walk away from me? Leave me for that stupid redhead you won't shut up about!"

"...what?" Dipper asked, "Pacifica, where is this..."

Dipper was cut off by blood-curling screams that echoed throughout the caverns. Mabel and her friends started to panic, and Dipper, while less afraid than the others in the face of the supernatural, instantly stiffened his stance. This was how Pacifica knew that this was the real Dipper. The screams were far too real to be a trick of the mind. Whatever it was, it was real.

And it was heading in their direction.

The kids started running through the tunnels as the screams got louder and shriller. The hairs on the back of their necks kept going up every time the screams echoed. And they weren't going away.

"What are those things?" Dipper asked.

He was watching as shadows were formed along the cave walls. Whatever they were, they weren't human. In fact, they looked a lot like...

"Get down!"

Someone much larger than them had tackled them all to the ground. That same person covered all five kids as the strange creatures passed by, their screams slowly fading out.

"Grunkle Stan!" Dipper and Mabel exclaimed, hugging their grunkle.

"You kids alright?" he asked.

Pacifica had never been so relieved to see the old cheapskate.

"I think we're good," Dipper replied, "What were those things?"

"Yeah, those stories about half-spider half-human ladies we used to joke about? Turns out they're true," Grunkle Stan replies, "Also, I was hitting on one of them."

"Ewwww," the kids replied.

"So Darlene was a spider lady?" asked Dipper.

"Ugh, Grunkle Stan, really?" Mabel complained.

"Relax," Stan said, "She's history. Literally."

"What does that mean?" asked Pacifica.

"...there's more of them living in this freaky mountain," Stan replied, "And they're all after us. We need to be long gone before they find the body."

"T-The body?" asked Pacifica, "You mean Darlene's..."

Stan turned right around, glaring intensely at Pacifica. Something snapped inside him.

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU LITTLE BRAT?!" Stan screamed loudly, "BACK HOME SAFE IN YOUR FANCY MANSION?"

"N-No, I wasn't..."

"THIS ISN'T A GAME!"

Stan marched off towards where the exit was supposed to be, leaving a stunned Pacifica behind.

"I didn't say it was..." Pacifica said softly.

"Don't worry about it, Pacifica," Dipper told her, "He's just...a little scared right now."

"Grunkle Stan? Scared?" Mabel asked, "Pssh, nah!"

"Mabel," Dipper said in a stage whisper, "Not a good time..."

"Hey, I didn't say he wasn't being a jerk!" Mabel exclaimed defensively, "Just that he's not scared. I mean, he used to be scared of heights, but other than that, Grunkle Stan isn't afraid of anything!"

Stan heard running water from around the corner. Where there was water, there was life, and life meant not getting eaten by giant spider ladies wanting revenge for him killing one of their own. Also quenching thirst, that was a bonus for water, too. Stan soon found the source of the running water...a fountain. Crystal clear and not a trace of bacteria in the water.

"Oh, finally!" Stan said, "I could use a little water after that run-in with death incarnate."

Running up to the fountain, Stan cupped his hands together and, after bringing them down into the fountain, pulled out some water and drank it.

"Oh yeah," Stan moaned, "That hits the spot."

"Grunkle Stan?" asked a voice from behind.

Stan turned around to see the voice came from Dipper. Guess he was the only one who bothered following him this far. That Pacifica girl was probably still upset, and Mabel, being the innocent soul she is, was probably trying to comfort her.

"Hey kiddo," Stan said, "Look, I know I got a little wound up back there, but we're kind of in a life or death situation right now, so whatever lecture you're going to give me, or if you're looking for an apology...either way, it'll have to wait until we make it out of this mountain alive."

"I'm not asking for either," Dipper replied, "In fact, I don't really expect much from you."

"Uh...you sure you're okay? You sound like you're holding a grudge. And trust me, I know a thing or two about those."

"Of course you would," Dipper said, "Why do you think I stopped coming to you for advice? Why I've spent more time with Grunkle Ford than with you or Mabel?"

"Uh, weird nerdy interests?" asked Stan rhetorically, "I thought that was kind of obvious."

"Then you're not paying attention."

This voice wasn't coming from Dipper. From behind Stan, an older man roughly the same height and build as Stan started coming forward. And then he saw why he looked so similar. No, he wasn't looking at himself. He was looking at his twin brother.

"Ford?" asked Stan, "I thought you were back home working on whatever nerdy thing you two have been bonding over. Why are you here?"

"Stanley," Ford said menacingly, "I think the real question is, why are you here?"

"We made a VERY wrong tour on my revenge trip," Stan said, "Funny how half-lady half-spider creatures can sour the mood."

"No, Stanley," Ford groaned, "Not here in the moment! I mean why are you here? Think big picture!"

"Is this...is this one those trick question things?"

"Fine, fine, I'll make it easier to understand," Ford replied, "Why do you exist?"

"I'm not a big proponent of existential questions, Ford," Stan replied.

"Oh for Pete''s sake!" groaned Ford, "I'm asking you why you were even born?"

"Well, Ford, when a man and a woman love each other very much, or in our case, when they've had a little too much..."

"NO! You're supposed to figure out how much better off everyone is without you in the picture!"

"Hey! I resent that insinuation!" Stan exclaimed.

Now a third figure popped up from thin air, this time much closer to Stan, only mere inches away from his face. Except this time, it wasn't someone he could simply ignore without a second thought. It was the very person who caused his circumstances to begin with. In that instant, Stan found himself staring into the eyes of Filbrick Pines.

"You resent anything that doesn't revolve around you," Filbrick told him, "Always have your whole life. It cost your brother his scholarship, and it nearly cost those kids their summer."

"What do you know, old man?" asked Stan, "You don't know the first thing about those kids, let alone me...y'know, since you kicked me out and let me live on the streets!"

"You're welcome," Filbrick said.

"You're welcome?!" Stan cried, "You don't even care about what happened to me after you left me for dead!"

"And you're still complaining," Filbrick said coldly.

Without saying a word, Stan went to punch his dad right in the kisser, only to feel his fist punching nothing but thin air. The mirage had disappeared, but Filbrick's voice still echoed throughout the chamber.

"Stanford was always the responsible one," Filbrick's voice echoed, "That's why, at the end of the day, those kids are going to stay with him."

Now Dipper and Ford were walking away, with their backs turned to Stan. Dipper disappeared, and Ford turned to Stan one last time.

"Look at it this way, Stanley," Ford said, "At least you have the Mystery Shack. I'll go ahead and keep the kids.

Ford did not simply fade away. He exploded into a bright flash, leaving behind a frightening vision of Dipper and Mabel screaming in fear, clutched in the hands of a ridiculously cartoonish but equally menacing yellow triangle, with Ford running away into the distance.

"You COWARD! Stan screamed.

Stan went to throw a punch to Ford, but instead hit the top-hat triangle. Only this time, it didn't go right through him. It hit him directly, sending him into tiny pieces and a chilling scream that Stan could swear he had heard before, or knew he would hear in the days to come.

"Uh, Grunkle Stan?"

Stan turned around and saw Dipper standing there...the real one, he could tell. He had the same dorky, confused look he always seemed to have.

"Dipper?" Stan asked.

"What exactly was that about?" asked Dipper, "One minute I ask about you, the next you're talking to yourself and swinging your fists at nothing!"

Trying not to give off a sign of what he perceived as a weak and vulnerable moment, Stan went right back to his gruff demeanor.

"Was that before or afterrace you interrupted my water break?"

"Probably after...wait, you drank the water?" asked Dipper.

"Hey, I was thirsty!" Stan exclaimed, "You try running from a tribe of human-spider ladies without breaking a sweat!"

Dipper looked into the the water as if he had already seen it. He hadn't, of course, but he was already a smart kid, who grew even smarter after adventuring with Ford.

"That must be why Pacifica was acting so weird!" Dipper exclaimed, "She must have drank from the fountain too! I can't believe we didn't even think about the Fountain of Fear!"

"The Fountain of what?" Stan asked, "Actually, never mind. I don't wanna know. Let's just get your sister and your friends and get out of here alive!"

Dipper started walking off before Stan put his hand on Dipper's shoulder.

"Listen, kiddo," Stan said, "When this is over, I'll apologize to your little girlfriend for the way I treated her...but not for doing what I do to keep you kids safe."

Dipper smiled knowingly at his grunkle.

"I really appreciate...wait, what? She's not my girlfriend! JEEZ!"

Dipper walked off blushing and embarassed.

"Coulda had me fooled," Stan said, "And trust me, that's saying a lot!"


End file.
